An Open Letter to The American Family Association

I, for one, am mortified at the callous response of the AFA toward the families and victims of the Newtown, CT massacre. The association touts that this is 'God's continued judgment on America, because Americans have turned their back on God.' For one moment, let us consider God's response to tragedy in the Bible. The Gospel of John tells us of the Christ's response when Lazarus died. “35Jesus wept.36The Jews therefore said, Behold how he loved him!” Apparently Jesus's own heart was broken and troubled at the loss of his friend. How much more so would the Lord weep at the horror that occurred in Newtown? And what of the Psalm Christ quoted at the crucifixion, “Eloi, Eloi Lama Sabbachthani?” Christ himself felt betrayed and wounded that God the Father was not present in his hour of need, as did David who wrote the Psalm in the first place. How much more so then should we as Christians be the mercy and compassion of God's only son to an unknowing world? Instead the response is nonsensical rhetoric that offers no comfort and certainly no method of addressing the horrific tragedy that has once more befallen our country. As for America being a 'Christian nation'. This nation was clearly founded on the tenets of Freedom of Religion, as the First Amendment makes clear. Those pilgrims who traversed from other lands came to America to escape governments that were entrenched in religiosity, namely the Church of England. That the AFA betrays the American people by misrepresenting the tenets of the founding fathers brings shame to us all. Should there be any doubt about the revered separation of church and state one only has to look to Israel, Afghanistan, Egypt, or Iran to find governments that tout the laws of God while stifling many, many freedoms. These governments seethe with inner turmoil, along with ferocious attacks. I, for one, do not wish this for our country. As for the ridiculous notion that 'God has been removed from the schools and this is why tragedies such as CT continue to happen'. I have my life to offer as lesson. I grew up in a fundamentalist 'Christian' home and in a school that had morning prayer until I was in the third grade. I sat in classrooms where the ten commandments were publicly, proudly, and unlawfully displayed throughout my elementary, middle, and high school experience. Those words meant nothing when daily I returned to a home where I was viciously abused, until I escaped at the age of 17. Several times I attended school bearing the physical marks of injury, black eyes included. Only to be ignored and left to my own devices to survive. I was taught at a tender age that if only I 'believed' in Christ enough my life would get better. I was baptized at the age of 9. I was determined to dedicate my life to god so my life would improve. To my utter, utter despair that was not to be. The abuse continued well into my teens, by then I was no longer afraid of god's judgment or hell. I had survived a living nightmare and had decided that going my own way could be no worse than the life I had survived. This god you tout as judging and striking down little children to teach America a lesson is the god I grew up with, but not the One I know to exist today. It took years and years for me to come to understand and know God as I do today. God is a God of grace, mercy, and compassion. These are the tenets I have learned and the radical good news I believe in today. I refuse to believe that God has any use for torturing little children, rather I believe that God's very heart is broken and surely as the people of Newtown grieve, so should we grieve as a nation. So, what then should be the response in the aftermath of such awful, horrific tragedy? Stop sacrificing our children in the name of the 'right to bear arms'. Make competent mental health a part of every single community and in doing so, remove the stigma from the mentally ill so that people may unashamedly seek the help so desperately needed. These are common sense, compassionate steps we as a nation can take to stem the bloodshed of our most innocent. And finally, we should do as Christ entreated every Christian, to Love One Another, that means bearing one another up and being part of the solution rather than the problem. May You Find the Peace You So Desperately Require, Katherine G. Eion, M.S.W.